U.S. patent application number 12/081821 was filed with the patent office on 2008-10-23 for multimedia system and navigation unit terminal.
This patent application is currently assigned to FUJITSU TEN LIMITED. Invention is credited to Yuu Nagata.
Application Number | 20080263181 12/081821 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 39873336 |
Filed Date | 2008-10-23 |
United States Patent
Application |
20080263181 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Nagata; Yuu |
October 23, 2008 |
Multimedia system and navigation unit terminal
Abstract
A multimedia system includes a master unit terminal and slave
unit terminals. The master unit terminal functions as an interface
for communications with an external server, in which status a
program updating process is executed between the server and the
slave unit terminal. In the multimedia system, property information
on the slave unit terminal is acquired when the master unit
terminal is connected to the slave unit terminal on a
communication-enabled basis, an update program for the slave unit
terminal is acquired from the server via the master unit terminal
on the basis of the property information, and thereafter the
updating process is executed. This scheme in the multimedia system
enables troublesomeness felt by a user to be reduced to the
greatest possible degree and security for updating the program of
the unit terminal to be guaranteed.
Inventors: |
Nagata; Yuu; (Kobe-shi,
JP) |
Correspondence
Address: |
OLIFF & BERRIDGE, PLC
P.O. BOX 320850
ALEXANDRIA
VA
22320-4850
US
|
Assignee: |
FUJITSU TEN LIMITED
KOBE-SHI
JP
|
Family ID: |
39873336 |
Appl. No.: |
12/081821 |
Filed: |
April 22, 2008 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
709/219 ;
709/208 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04L 67/12 20130101;
H04L 67/28 20130101; G06F 15/16 20130101; H04L 67/34 20130101; G06F
8/65 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
709/219 ;
709/208 |
International
Class: |
G06F 15/173 20060101
G06F015/173; G06F 15/16 20060101 G06F015/16 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Apr 23, 2007 |
JP |
2007-112853 |
Claims
1. A multimedia system including a plurality of unit terminals,
comprising: a master unit terminal defined as one of said plurality
of unit terminals in said multimedia system and functioning as an
interface for performing communications with a server located
outside said multimedia system and with each of said plurality of
unit terminals; and a slave unit terminal defined as a unit
terminal other than said master unit terminal in said plurality of
unit terminals and connected on a communication-enabled basis to
said master unit terminal; said multimedia system updating the
program held on said slave unit terminal by performing the
communications with said server and with said master unit terminal;
said multimedia system further comprising: a slave information
acquiring unit acquiring, when said master unit terminal and said
slave unit terminal are connected on the communication-enabled
basis, property information on said slave unit terminal for said
master unit terminal; an update program acquiring unit acquiring an
update program for said slave unit terminal from said server via
said master unit terminal on the basis of the property information
acquired by said slave information acquiring unit; and an updating
unit updating a program in said slave unit terminal into the update
program acquired by said update program acquiring unit.
2. A multimedia system according to claim 1, further comprising an
update appropriateness determining unit causing, via said master
unit terminal, said server to determine based on the property
information acquired by said slave information acquiring unit
whether or not said slave unit terminal at which the property
information is targeted becomes a target appropriate for updating
the program in said multimedia system, wherein said update program
acquiring unit, when said update appropriateness determining unit
determines that said slave unit terminal is the target appropriate
for updating the program, acquires the update program for said
slave unit terminal from said server via said master unit
terminal.
3. A multimedia system according to claim 1, further comprising an
update checking unit causing, via said master unit terminal, said
server to check based on the property information acquired by said
slave information acquiring unit whether or not the program held by
said slave unit terminal at which the property information is
targeted is a program required to be updated, wherein said update
program acquiring unit acquires, when said update checking unit
determines that the program is required to be updated, the update
program for the slave unit terminal from said server via said
master unit terminal.
4. A multimedia system according to claim 3, wherein said update
checking unit segments the update target program in said slave unit
terminal according to every predetermined area, checks a necessity
for updating the program by making a partial comparison about the
update target program between said server and said slave unit
terminal according to every segmented area via said master unit
terminal, then narrows stepwise, when confirming the necessity for
updating the program as a result of the comparison, a capacity of
the predetermined area becoming a further comparison target down to
a predetermined minimum capacity, and checks the necessity for
updating the program according to every predetermined area of which
the capacity has been narrowed down stepwise.
5. A multimedia system according to claim 4, wherein the
predetermined minimum capacity is determined based on a
communication speed between said master unit terminal and said
slave unit terminal.
6. A multimedia system according to claim 5, wherein said slave
unit terminal further includes a temporary storage unit that
temporarily stores the program acquired by said update program
acquiring unit, said updating unit updates the program in said
slave unit terminal into the program stored in said temporary
storing unit, and the predetermined minimum capacity is determined
based on program updating performance of said updating unit.
7. A multimedia system according to claim 4, wherein said slave
information acquiring unit acquires a value of the predetermined
minimum capacity as part of the property information from said
slave unit terminal when said master unit terminal and said slave
unit terminal are connected to each other on the
communication-enabled basis for the first time.
8. A multimedia system according to claim 3, wherein said update
checking unit checks the necessity for updating the program by
comparing part of the update target program in said slave unit
terminal with data in said server according to every predetermined
area on the basis of a checksum system.
9. A multimedia system according to claim 1, further comprising an
encryption processing unit executing, when said update program
acquiring unit acquires the update program, an encryption process
about the update program in order to disable said master unit
terminal from decrypting the update program.
10. A multimedia system according to claim 1, wherein said updating
unit updates the program into the update program after said slave
unit terminal becoming the update target terminal has finished a
normal process.
11. A multimedia system according to claim 1, wherein said
multimedia system is capable of performing the communications with
a plurality of servers located outside said multimedia system, and
said update program acquiring unit specifies said server that
should be accessed by said master unit terminal on the basis of the
property information acquired by said slave information acquiring
unit, and acquires the update program from said specified server
via said master unit terminal.
12. A multimedia system including a plurality of unit terminals,
comprising: a server supplying, when updating a program in a unit
terminal, a new program to said unit terminal; a master unit
terminal defined as one of said plurality of unit terminals in said
multimedia system and functioning as an interface for performing
communications with said server and with each of said plurality of
unit terminals; a slave unit terminal defined as a unit terminal
other than said master unit terminal in said plurality of unit
terminals and connected on a communication-enabled basis to said
master unit terminal; a slave information acquiring unit acquiring,
when said master unit terminal and said slave unit terminal are
connected on the communication-enabled basis, property information
on said slave unit terminal for said master unit terminal; an
update program acquiring unit acquiring an update program for said
slave unit terminal from said server via said master unit terminal
on the basis of the property information acquired by said slave
information acquiring unit; and an updating unit updating a program
in said slave unit terminal into the update program acquired by
said update program acquiring unit.
13. A navigation unit terminal comprising a navigation information
acquiring unit acquiring navigation information from an external
server located outside a vehicle, said navigation unit terminal
being mounted on the vehicle and navigating the vehicle on the
basis of the navigation information acquired by said navigation
information acquiring unit, said navigation unit terminal being
connected to a single or plural slave unit terminals mounted on the
vehicle on a communication-enabled basis and functioning as an
interface for performing the communications with a multimedia
system including said navigation unit terminal and said slave unit
terminal(s) and with said external server, said navigation unit
further comprising: a slave information acquiring unit acquiring
property information on said slave unit terminal when said
navigation unit terminal is connected to said slave unit terminal
on the communication-enabled basis; an update program acquiring
unit acquiring an update program needed for updating a program in
said slave unit terminal from said external server via said
navigation information acquiring unit on the basis of the property
information acquired by said slave information acquiring unit; and
an updating unit causing said slave unit terminal to update the
program in said slave unit terminal into the update program
acquired by said update program acquiring unit.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] 1. Field of the Invention
[0002] The present invention relates to a multimedia system built
up by a plurality of unit terminals and to a navigation unit
terminal serving as a unit terminal configuring part of the
multimedia system.
[0003] 2. Description of the Related Art
[0004] A program for on-board type control equipment of a vehicle
was the latest one when purchased by a user but has been getting
old with an elapse of a usage period, resulting in such a case that
the latest function provided by a supplier can not be performed.
Therefore, the user needs to update the program for the control
equipment. Such being the case, there was disclosed a technology
(refer to, e.g., Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No.
2005-202503) of supplying (downloading) a control program of the
latest version provided from the supplier into the control
equipment within the vehicle possessed by the user in a way that
utilizes radio waves for a mobile phone. The program for the
control equipment mounted on the user's vehicle is updated by this
technology.
[0005] Disclosed further is a technology (refer to, e.g., Japanese
Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2006-209417) related to an
efficient program transmission on the occasion of updating the
program. This technology is that a should-be-updated program is
compared with a new program by use of a checksum system in a
plurality of blocks organizing the program, and only a block
portion with the checksum proving not to be identical as a result
of the comparison is transmitted for the update. With this scheme,
a size of the program that should be transmitted for the update can
be reduced, and the program can be efficiently transferred.
[0006] Other technologies related to the update of the program are
disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication Nos.
2005-233930, 2001-75967, H11-296364 and 2004-295542.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0007] A multimedia system is built up by a plurality of unit
terminals each having a program that might be updated for a variety
of purposes, wherein these unit terminals are exemplified by units
for the on-board control equipment described above. In this type of
multimedia system, it is of importance in terms of improving
convenience to the user that the programs in the unit terminals are
updated. According to the prior arts, however, the user judges a
necessity of updating the program for each individual unit terminal
and, if necessary, installs an update program into the unit
terminal by use of mediums such as a CD and DVD or requests a
supplier of the unit terminal to update the program by carrying the
unit terminal to a place of the supplier. This imposes a large
burden on the user, of which troublesomeness can not be
ignored.
[0008] If those plural unit terminals are provided from different
suppliers, a degree of freedom for the user to update the program
is restricted for a reason of the security in order for the program
held by each unit terminal not to be leaked outside. As a result,
the troublesomeness felt by the user becomes more conspicuous.
[0009] It is an object of the present invention, which was devised
in view of the problems given above, to provide a multimedia system
built up by a plurality of unit terminals and capable of reducing
troublesomeness felt by a user to the greatest possible degree and
guaranteeing the security for updating a program of each of the
unit terminals.
[0010] According to the present invention, to accomplish the above
object, in a multimedia system including a plurality of unit
terminals, one single unit terminal is made to function as a master
unit terminal that controls the update of programs of other unit
terminals on the whole, whereby the programs of other unit
terminals are updated via the master unit terminal. This scheme is
not that a user sequentially updates the programs of the unit
terminals but that the master unit terminal manages the update of
the programs of other unit terminals, thereby enabling the
troublesomeness felt by the user to be obviated.
[0011] Specifically, according to the present invention, a
multimedia system including a plurality of unit terminals,
comprises: a master unit terminal defined as one of the plurality
of unit terminals in the multimedia system and functioning as an
interface for performing communications with a server located
outside the multimedia system and with each of the plurality of
unit terminals; and a slave unit terminal defined as a unit
terminal other than the master unit terminal in the plurality of
unit terminals and connected on a communication-enabled basis to
the master unit terminal, the multimedia system updating the
program held on the slave unit terminal by performing the
communications with the server and with the master unit terminal.
The multimedia system further comprises: a slave information
acquiring unit acquiring, when the master unit terminal and the
slave unit terminal are connected on the communication-enabled
basis, property information on the slave unit terminal for the
master unit terminal; an update program acquiring unit acquiring an
update program for the slave unit terminal from the server via the
master unit terminal on the basis of the property information
acquired by the slave information acquiring unit; and an updating
unit updating a program in the slave unit terminal into the update
program acquired by the update program acquiring unit.
[0012] At first, a characteristic of the multimedia system
according to the present invention resides in its configuration. A
configuration of the multimedia system built up by the plurality of
terminal units includes a single master unit terminal and one or
plural slave unit terminals. A difference between the master unit
terminal and the slave unit terminal is not necessarily determined
by functions and characteristics of the individual unit terminals.
This terminology is nothing but to assign a whole control function
to a unit terminal named the master unit terminal in a way that
takes into consideration the update of the program held by each
slave unit terminal. Accordingly in the present multimedia system,
the unit terminal dedicated to the master unit terminal may be
disposed, and a relation between the master and the slave may be
properly established by considering a capability of which the each
individual unit terminal is possessed and a load applied thereon.
Note that a topology between the master unit terminal and the slave
unit terminals can include a variety of connection modes on the
premise that the master unit terminal is connected on a
communication-enabled basis to the individual slave unit
terminals.
[0013] When the slave unit terminal is connected to the master unit
terminal, i.e., when there occurs a status enabling the present
multimedia system to function, the slave information acquiring unit
acquires the property information of the slave unit terminal, and a
result of this acquisition is transferred to the master unit
terminal. The property information is information on the slave unit
terminal partly configuring the multimedia system. The property
information contains at least information for identifying, e.g., an
individual (terminal) and information used for updating the program
in the slave unit terminal through the master unit terminal.
[0014] Based on the property information, the update program
acquiring unit acquires the update program between the server and
the master unit terminal. A phrase "based on the property
information" connotes being used as a basis for judgment in order
to execute a variety of processes about the update of the programs
held by the slave unit terminals, such as specifying the target
update program and determining whether the update of the program is
appropriate or not.
[0015] Thus, in the multimedia system according to the present
invention, on the occasion of updating the program of the slave
unit terminal, the master unit terminal serving as a core terminal
executes the processes ranging to the process of acquiring the
update program from the server. With this scheme, the update of the
programs of the slave unit terminals connected on the
"communication-enabled" basis to the master unit terminal is
controlled under the management of the master unit terminal.
Therefore, the user has no necessity for setting and adjusting the
update of the program of the slave unit terminal each time, thereby
reducing a burden on the user. Especially, a remarkable effect is
to obviate such a burden that the user carries the slave unit
terminal to each supplier. Note that the update program acquired by
the update program acquiring unit is thereafter updated with an
existing program by the updating unit in the target slave unit
terminal.
[0016] As to a correlation between the multimedia system and the
server, the multimedia system may be allocated fixedly on, e.g.,
the ground and may also be disposed on a movable object like a
vehicle. Namely, the multimedia system may be allocated in a fixed
mode or a movable mode with respect to the server. As to the
communications between the multimedia system and the server, a
wired or wireless communication mode may be properly adopted
corresponding to the correlation therebetween.
[0017] Note that with respect to the update of the program held by
the master unit terminal, the master unit terminal is originally
communicable with the server, and hence the update program for the
master unit terminal may be acquired according to the acquisition
of the update program by the update program acquiring unit
separately from or synchronously with timing when updating the
program of the slave unit terminal.
[0018] Herein, the multimedia system may further comprise an update
appropriateness determining unit causing, via the master unit
terminal, the server to determine based on the property information
acquired by the slave information acquiring unit whether or not the
slave unit terminal at which the property information is targeted
becomes a target appropriate for updating the program in the
multimedia system. In this case, the update program acquiring unit
may, when the update appropriateness determining unit determines
that the slave unit terminal is the target appropriate for updating
the program, acquire the update program for the slave unit terminal
from the server via the master unit terminal.
[0019] The update appropriateness determining unit determines
whether or not the slave unit terminal is qualified to be provided
with the update program from the server in a way that uses the
information contained in the property information, from which the
slave unit terminal can be identified as an individual. With this
scheme, when an invalid slave unit terminal pretends (spoofing) to
be a valid terminal and is thus connected to the master unit
terminal, the program of the slave unit terminal can be prevented
from being updated on this occasion.
[0020] The multimedia system may further comprise an update
checking unit causing, via the master unit terminal, the server to
check based on the property information acquired by the slave
information acquiring unit whether or not the program held by the
slave unit terminal at which the property information is targeted
is a program required to be updated. In this case, the update
program acquiring unit may acquire, when the update checking unit
determines that the program is required to be updated, the update
program for the slave unit terminal from the server via the master
unit terminal.
[0021] Namely, as a stage before the update program acquiring unit
acquires the update program, the update checking unit checks the
update of the program. The execution of the update checking process
avoids redundantly frequently repeating the acquisition of the
update program from the server, thereby enabling the loads on the
server and on the master unit terminal to be reduced.
[0022] The update checking unit may segment the update target
program in the slave unit terminal according to every predetermined
area, check a necessity for updating the program by making a
partial comparison about the update target program between the
server and the slave unit terminal according to every segmented
area via the master unit terminal, then narrow stepwise, when
confirming the necessity for updating the program as a result of
the comparison, a capacity of the predetermined area becoming a
further comparison target down to a predetermined minimum capacity,
and check the necessity for updating the program according to every
predetermined area of which the capacity has been narrowed down
stepwise.
[0023] Specifically, the update checking unit does not set the
update checking target to the whole program held by the slave unit
terminal but searches for a program portion required to be updated
in the whole program and transfers only this portion as (part of)
the program that needs updating to the update program acquiring
unit. A capacity of the update program acquired by the update
program acquiring unit can be thereby decreased as much as
possible. This contributes to reduce the loads applied on the
server and the master unit terminal when updating the program.
[0024] More specifically, the update checking unit segments the
whole update target program according to every predetermined area,
and checks whether the segmented program is an update target or not
by comparing the program belonging to the segmented area with the
data held by the server. As a result of the comparison, if
necessary for updating, the segmented program as a whole is further
subsegmented into minute predetermined areas, wherein the same
comparative judgment is made. This program segmenting/comparing
cycle continues stepwise till a minimum capacity of the segmented
predetermined area reaches the predetermined minimum capacity.
Thus, the area of the comparison target program is stepwise shifted
initially from the large area to the small area. The
should-be-updated portion of the program can be thereby efficiently
searched, and this contributes to reduce the time needed for
updating the program.
[0025] The predetermined minimum capacity may be determined based
on a communication speed between the master unit terminal and the
slave unit terminal. With this scheme, the update program acquiring
unit acquires the update program eventually according to every
program having the predetermined minimum capacity. The
predetermined minimum capacity defined as the minimum unit for the
acquisition thereof is determined in relation to a communication
speed between the master unit terminal and the slave unit terminal,
whereby the update program can be acquired efficiently with less of
futility while avoiding residence (overflow) in the middle of the
communications.
[0026] The slave unit terminal may further include a temporary
storage unit that temporarily stores the program acquired by the
update program acquiring unit, and the updating unit may update the
program in the slave unit terminal into the program stored in the
temporary storing unit. In the case of this configuration, the
predetermined minimum capacity may be determined based on program
updating performance of the updating unit. Similarly, the
predetermined minimum capacity defined as the minimum unit for the
acquisition by the update program acquiring unit is thus determined
in relation to the updating performance of the updating unit,
whereby it is possible to avoid the residence of the program in the
temporary storage unit that is temporarily stored with the update
program.
[0027] In the multimedia system described so far, the slave
information acquiring unit may acquire a value of the predetermined
minimum capacity as part of the property information from the slave
unit terminal when the master unit terminal and the slave unit
terminal are connected to each other on the communication-enabled
basis for the first time. The acquisition of the update program and
the updating process are done more smoothly via the master unit
terminal.
[0028] In the multimedia system described so far, the update
checking unit may check the necessity for updating the program by
comparing part of the update target program in the slave unit
terminal with data in the server according to every predetermined
area on the basis of a checksum system. The comparison based on the
checksum system enables the time needed for checking the necessity
for updating to be further reduced.
[0029] The multimedia system described so far may further comprise
an encryption processing unit executing, when the update program
acquiring unit acquires the update program, an encryption process
about the update program in order to disable the master unit
terminal from decrypting the update program. The technique of
updating the program in the slave unit terminal via the master unit
terminal is, as described above, characteristic of the multimedia
system according to the present invention. Hence, it follows that
the master unit terminal becomes an in-between terminal for the
updating process. Herein, the update program sent from the server
should be transmitted to the slave unit terminal, and there might
be a case in which it is undesirable that the in-between master
unit terminal knows a content of the update program. Such being the
case, the encryption processing unit executes the encryption
process, thereby enabling the program to be updated in security on
the slave unit terminal without deviating from the gist of the
present invention. The encryption process also becomes a measure
against the leakage to the outside in the communications between
the server and the master unit terminal.
[0030] In the multimedia system described so far, the updating unit
may updates the program into the update program after the slave
unit terminal becoming the update target terminal has finished a
normal process. The "normal process" is a process executed for the
slave unit terminal to perform its function. With this scheme, the
execution of the update of the program avoids hindering the normal
process.
[0031] In the multimedia system described so far, the multimedia
system is capable of performing the communications with a plurality
of servers located outside the multimedia system, in which case the
update program acquiring unit may specify the server that should be
accessed by the master unit terminal on the basis of the property
information acquired by the slave information acquiring unit, and
may acquire the update program from the specified server via the
master unit terminal. Namely, the proper server having the update
program is specified based on the property information on each
slave unit terminal, whereby the program can be surely updated in
the multimedia system built up by the variety of slave unit
terminals supplied from the different suppliers.
[0032] The present invention can be grasped from an aspect of the
multimedia system including a server in addition to the master unit
terminal and the slave unit terminals. To be specific, a multimedia
system including a plurality of unit terminals, comprises: a server
supplying, when updating a program in a unit terminal, a new
program to the unit terminal; a master unit terminal defined as one
of the plurality of unit terminals in the multimedia system and
functioning as an interface for performing communications with the
server and with each of the plurality of unit terminals; a slave
unit terminal defined as a unit terminal other than the master unit
terminal in the plurality of unit terminals and connected on a
communication-enabled basis to the master unit terminal; a slave
information acquiring unit acquiring, when the master unit terminal
and the slave unit terminal are connected on the
communication-enabled basis, property information on the slave unit
terminal for the master unit terminal; an update program acquiring
unit acquiring an update program for the slave unit terminal from
the server via the master unit terminal on the basis of the
property information acquired by the slave information acquiring
unit; and an updating unit updating a program in the slave unit
terminal into the update program acquired by the update program
acquiring unit. In the thus-configured multimedia system, in the
same way as by the multimedia system described above, the program
of the slave unit terminal is updated through the master unit
terminal, whereby the troublesomeness felt by the user can be
reduced.
[0033] Still further, the present invention can be grasped from an
aspect different from the multimedia systems described so far.
Namely, according to the present invention, in a navigation unit
terminal comprising a navigation information acquiring unit
acquiring navigation information from an external server located
outside a vehicle, the navigation unit terminal is mounted on the
vehicle and navigating the vehicle on the basis of the navigation
information acquired by the navigation information acquiring unit,
and is connected to a single or plural slave unit terminals mounted
on the vehicle on a communication-enabled basis and functioning as
an interface for performing the communications with a multimedia
system including the navigation unit terminal and the slave unit
terminal(s) and with the external server. The navigation unit
terminal further comprises: a slave information acquiring unit
acquiring property information on the slave unit terminal when the
navigation unit terminal is connected to the slave unit terminal on
the communication-enabled basis; an update program acquiring unit
acquiring an update program needed for updating a program in the
slave unit terminal from the external server via the navigation
information acquiring unit on the basis of the property information
acquired by the slave information acquiring unit; and an updating
unit causing the slave unit terminal to update the program in the
slave unit terminal into the update program acquired by the update
program acquiring unit.
[0034] The navigation unit terminal is a device that acquires from
the outside the navigation information necessary for navigating the
vehicle. In this navigation unit terminal, the interface with the
outside is utilized also as an interface with the master unit
terminal in the multimedia system described so far, whereby the
program of the slave unit terminal in the multimedia system built
up within the vehicle can be smoothly updated. Note that the
navigation information given herein is not limited to GPS (Global
Positioning System) information for grasping a position of the
vehicle but includes traffic information and other categories of
transportation-related information for supporting the navigation. A
general practice in terms of considering the vehicle to be a
movable body is that the navigation information acquiring unit
acquires the navigation information wirelessly. If capable of
acquiring the navigation information via a cable, any inconvenience
may not be caused by making use of the cable.
[0035] From what has been described so far, it is feasible to
provide the multimedia system built up by the plurality of unit
terminals, which is capable of reducing the troublesomeness felt by
the user and guaranteeing the security for updating the program of
the unit terminal.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0036] FIG. 1 is a view illustrating an outline configuration of a
multimedia system according to an embodiment of the present
invention, and showing outlines of servers accessible from the
multimedia system;
[0037] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating images of functions by way
of [function units] that are performed by the respective components
such as the navigation apparatus, which build up the multimedia
system according to the embodiment of the present invention, and
also illustrating correlations between the function units on the
basis of signal flows;
[0038] FIG. 3 is a control flow chart for updating the program of
the slave unit terminal, which is carried out in the multimedia
system according to the embodiment of the present invention;
[0039] FIG. 4 is a diagram exemplifying property information on the
slave unit terminal, which is acquired by the master unit terminal
from the slave unit terminal in the update control flow shown in
FIG. 3;
[0040] FIG. 5A is first diagram schematizing a procedure for
specifying an update portion of an update program, which is
conducted in the update control flow shown in FIG. 3;
[0041] FIG. 5B is second diagram schematizing the procedure for
specifying the update portion of the update program, which is
conducted in the update control flow shown in FIG. 3; and
[0042] FIG. 6 is a flowchart of a process of coding and decoding
the update program, which is executed in the update control flow
shown in FIG. 3.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0043] FIG. 1 is a view illustrating an outline configuration of a
multimedia system 10 according to the present invention, and
showing outlines of servers S1-S3 accessible from the multimedia
system 10. The multimedia system 10 is mounted on a vehicle 5 and
includes three pieces of unit terminals such as a navigation
apparatus 1, a head unit 2 and an amplifier 3. The "unit terminals"
connoted herein are defined as apparatuses each having a
should-be-performed function and capable of transferring and
receiving data in a way that links up with each other on a
communication-enabled basis. This linkage scheme enables a user to
build up one single multimedia system by linking a variety of unit
terminals according to user's own favorites and necessities. In
this connection, the multimedia system 10 according to the present
embodiment has the three unit terminals, i.e., the navigation
apparatus 1, the head unit 2 and the amplifier 3 required for
navigating the vehicle 5 and for forming an acoustic space in the
vehicle 5.
[0044] A brief description of each of the unit terminals will be
given. The description will start with the navigation apparatus 1.
The navigation apparatus 1 is an apparatus that navigates the
vehicle 5 of the user in order to assist user's driving.
Specifically, a process related to the present location of the
vehicle 5 is executed based on GPS (Global Positioning System)
information received by a GPS receiving unit 40 provided in the
vehicle 5. The vehicle 5 is navigated based on a result of this
process. The vehicle 5 is provided with a transmitting/receiving
unit 41 that enables wireless communications with the outside via a
mobile phone. Transportation-related information such as traffic
information received by the transmitting/receiving unit 41 is
presented simultaneously with the GPS information or individually
to the user, whereby the vehicle 5 is navigated further
effectively. A navigation technology by the navigation apparatus
has less of a relationship with the core of the multimedia system
according to the present invention, and hence its in-depth
description is omitted.
[0045] The head unit 2 will be explained next. The head unit 2 is
an apparatus that executes an arithmetic process for reproducing
music for the user within the vehicle 5. The head unit 2 contains a
CD/DVD deck and a hard disc drive (HDD) by which the music data is
processed for regeneration thereof. The amplifier 3 supplies
electric power when sounds are output based on the music data,
which has been regeneration-processed by the head unit 2, to an
interior throughout within the vehicle 5 from a loudspeaker
(unillustrated). Note that the navigation display based on the
process by the navigation apparatus 1 is shown to the user via a
display unit provided in the head unit 2. The detailed functions of
the head unit 2 and of the amplifier 3 have less of the
relationship with the core of the multimedia system according to
the present invention, and hence their in-depth descriptions are
omitted.
[0046] Those unit terminals need to transfer and receive the
information to and from each other as in the case of the
information on the navigation and the information on the
regenerated music, and are therefore connected to each other in a
communication-enabled status via a LAN (Local Area Network) circuit
4. The above-mentioned functions performed by the unit terminals
are attained by executing control programs (which will hereinafter
be simply termed [programs]) stored in the individual unit
terminals. Each unit terminal is therefore provided with a storage
unit stored with the corresponding program and a control unit for
getting the function performed by executing the program.
[0047] The program preinstalled into each unit terminal turns out
to be a so-called out-of-date version with a passage of time.
Hence, the function of each unit terminal can not be kept in the
latest status unless the version thereof is updated into the latest
one. Such being the case, a scheme is that the programs within the
unit terminals building up the multimedia system 10 according to
the present invention are updated through the wireless
communications between the servers S1-S3 having the latest programs
and the multimedia system 10. An architecture on the server side
will be described. The server S1 has the updated program
corresponding to the navigation apparatus 1. The server S2 has the
updated program corresponding to the head unit 2. The server S3 has
the updated program corresponding to the amplifier 3. The servers
S1-S3 are connected to an intermediate server 30 via the Internet
33. The intermediate server 30 is defined as an auxiliary server
for relaying the information between the servers S1-S3 and the
multimedia system 10 via an antenna 32 and a repeater 31.
Accordingly, servers according to the present invention correspond
to the servers S1-S3, respectively.
[0048] The multimedia system 10 performs the communications with
the servers S1-S3 by use of the transmitting/receiving unit 41
serving as an interface for transmitting and receiving the
information to and from the navigation apparatus 1. At this time,
such a management mode is adopted that the navigation apparatus 1
controls other unit terminals, i.e., the head unit 2 and the
amplifier 3. Namely, the navigation apparatus 1 functions as a
master unit terminal according to the present invention, while the
head unit 2 and the amplifier 3 function as slave unit terminals.
The management of updating the programs of the head unit 2 and of
the amplifier 3 defined as the slave unit terminals is thereby
conducted all via the navigation apparatus 1 serving as the master
unit terminal.
[0049] The navigation apparatus 1 updates as a whole the programs
of the unit terminals configuring the multimedia system 10. This
scheme eliminates such a necessity that the user himself or herself
carries out a time-consuming process of checking statuses of the
programs of the unit terminals each time and acquiring the
requisite updated programs from suppliers of the unit terminals
when the need arises. This scheme also remarkably improves
convenience to the user.
[0050] The navigation apparatus 1, the head unit 2, the amplifier 3
and the servers S1-S3 perform the functions illustrated in FIG. 2,
thereby attaining the update of the programs in the multimedia
system 10 according to the present invention. FIG. 2 illustrates
images of the functions by way of [function units] that are
performed by the respective components such as the navigation
apparatus 1. FIG. 2 also illustrates correlations between the
function units on the basis of signal flows. The control units of
the individual components execute control program for updating the
programs, whereby the functions of the function units are realized.
Note that the amplifier 3 is adopted as the slave unit terminal in
FIG. 2, resultantly the server S3 corresponding to the amplifier 3
is shown as the server, and an illustration of the head unit 2 is
omitted. The function of each function unit will hereinafter be
briefly explained.
[0051] To begin with, a property information transmitting unit 11
in the amplifier 3 transmits property information of the amplifier
3 to the navigation apparatus 1. A property information receiving
unit 12 in the navigation apparatus 1 receives the property
information. The "property information" connotes information on an
individual, i.e., the amplifier 3 serving as the slave unit
terminal. There exist piece of property information having their
contents that differ for every slave unit terminal. An in-depth
description thereof will be made later on. Thereafter, the property
information is transferred to the server S3 via a slave
appropriateness request unit 13 in the same navigation apparatus 1.
At this time, a slave appropriateness determining unit 14 in the
server S3 determines whether or not the amplifier 3 connected to
the navigation apparatus 1 is an appropriate slave unit terminal of
which the program should be updated. A result of the determination
is sent back to the navigation apparatus 1. If the determination
result proves that the amplifier 3 is the appropriate slave unit
terminal, an update program determination request unit 15 requests
an update program segmenting unit 16 in the amplifier 3 and an
update program checking unit 17 in the server S3 to determine which
segment of the program in the amplifier 3 becomes an update
target.
[0052] The update program checking unit 17, upon receiving the
request from the update program determination request unit 15,
finally specifies a need-updating-segment in the program. According
to the specified segment, an update program coding/transmitting
unit 18 in the server S3 codes a necessary piece of update program
and thereafter transmits the coded update program to the amplifier
3 as the slave unit terminal via the navigation apparatus 1. An
update program decoding/receiving unit 19 in the amplifier 3
receives and decodes the coded update program. The thus-decoded
update program is stored temporarily in a program temporary storage
unit 20. Thereafter, a program updating unit 21 updates the
existing program into the temporarily-stored update program.
[0053] Herein, a process of updating the program in the amplifier
3, which is executed by the respective function units shown in FIG.
2, will be described in detail with reference to FIG. 3. Note that
the process shown in FIG. 3 is, as stated above, executed by the
control units provided respectively in the navigation apparatus 1,
the amplifier 3 and the server S3.
[0054] At first, it is detected in S101 that the multimedia system
10 is powered ON. To be specific, the detection of the power-ON is,
it is assumed, attained by supplying the electric power to the
multimedia system 10 from a battery provided in the vehicle 5. When
terminating the process in S101, the operation proceeds to S102. In
S102, the navigation apparatus 1 requests the amplifier 3 to
transmit the property information on the amplifier 3 to the
navigation apparatus 1 defined as the master unit terminal. As a
result, in S103, the property information transmitting unit 11
transmits the property information on the amplifier 3. FIG. 4 shows
herein one example of the property information on the amplifier 3.
The property information on the amplifier 3 is organized based on
fields such as a "unit ID" defined as an identification number of
the unit terminal in the multimedia system 10, a "product number"
specifying the amplifier 3 as a product, a "manufacturer's serial
number" (serial number) for identifying the amplifier 3 as an
individual, and a "latest update date" representing the latest date
when the program held by the amplifier 3 has been updated. The
property information on the amplifier 3 further contains a
"predetermined minimum capacity" field representing a parameter in
relation to specifying and acquiring the update program that will
be mentioned later on. A variety of processes, which will be
hereinafter explained, are carried out based on these items of
information.
[0055] In S104, the property information receiving unit 12 receives
the property information on the amplifier 3, which is transmitted
in S103. Namely, the navigation apparatus 1 serving as the master
unit terminal acquires the property information on each of the
slave unit terminals connected in the communication-enabled status
to the navigation apparatus itself. This scheme enables the
navigation apparatus 1 to recognize all of the unit terminals
building up the whole multimedia system 10. Upon finishing the
process in S104, the operation proceeds to S105.
[0056] In S105, according to the property information on the
amplifier 3 that has been received by the property information
receiving unit 12, the slave appropriateness request unit 13
requests the server S3 to determine whether or not the amplifier 3
is an appropriate slave unit terminal of which the program is to be
updated. Specifically, the property information is transmitted to
the server S3, and the slave appropriateness request unit 13
requests the server S3 for a result of the determination made by
the server S3. Incidentally, a technique of specifying the server
to which the navigation apparatus 1 sends the request, is such that
the amplifier 3 and the server S3 are previously associated with
each other in the navigation apparatus 1, and the existence of the
amplifier 3 is recognized based on the acquired property
information, thereby specifying the server. When the process in
S105 is finished, the operation proceeds to S106.
[0057] In S106, the server S3 determines, based on the property
information transmitted from the navigation apparatus 1, whether or
not the amplifier 3 is an appropriate slave unit terminal permitted
to undergo the update of the program. This determination is made by
the slave appropriateness determining unit 14. In the case of the
property information shown in, e.g., FIG. 4, the server S3 collates
the product number information and the manufacturer's serial number
information with the information in a database held by the server
S3 itself, thereby judging whether the amplifier 3 is a program
update support target unit terminal or not. With this scheme, it is
feasible to prevent the upgrade of the program of the unit terminal
establishing an invalid connection to the multimedia system 10. A
result of determination about the appropriateness is sent again to
the navigation apparatus 1.
[0058] Executed thereafter in the navigation apparatus 1 is the
process based on the result of the determination made by the slave
appropriateness determining unit 14. If the result of the
determination proves to be inappropriate, the amplifier 3 as the
slave unit terminal undergoes none of the program updating process
(S107). Whereas if the result of the determination proves to be
appropriate, processes from S108 onward are executed in order for
the amplifier 3 as the slave unit terminal to undergo the program
updating process.
[0059] Note that the program updating process according to the
processes from S108 onward may be started at proper timing in a way
that takes into consideration a processing load applied on the
navigation apparatus 1 and a processing load applied on the
amplifier 3. Basically, the navigation apparatus 1 judges whether
or not the processes from S108 onward are automatically executed.
For example, the navigation apparatus 1 queries the server S3 about
the latest update date in the property information. If the latest
update date is earlier than the date of the latest update program
of the server S3, the navigation apparatus 1 executes the processes
from S108 onward at the proper timing. The navigation apparatus 1,
when receiving an update instruction from the user, may send a
query to the server S3.
[0060] The processes from S108 to S113 will be herein described
with reference to FIGS. 5A and 5B. FIGS. 5A and 5B are diagrams
each showing specific operations mainly of the update program
segmenting unit 16 and the update program checking unit 17. At
first, in S108, the update program determination request unit 15
requests the update program segmenting unit 16 to segment the
update target program at an interval of a predetermined area.
Simultaneously, the update program determination request unit 15
instructs the update program checking unit 17 to stand by for a
process in S111 which will be described later on.
[0061] The "predetermined area" herein connotes such an area that
the program is expedientially segmented for specifying a
substantially-need-updating portion in the update target program.
The program in the amplifier 3 is compared, based on every
predetermined area for segmentation, with the data about the update
program managed by the server S3. If discrepant therebetween, it
can be judged that the program portion belonging to the
predetermined area needs to undergo the updating process. The
program is thus segmented at the interval of the predetermined
area, thereby enabling a capacity of the program (precisely, the
program portion) required to be updated to be eventually reduced to
the greatest possible degree and enabling the load caused by the
updating process to be decreased. According to the present
embodiment, to begin with, the update program determination request
unit 15 gives a first segmentation request to the update program
segmenting unit 16. An assumption in this segmentation request is
that a program P held by the amplifier 3 is segmented by the
predetermined area having a capacity of 50 Kbytes into three
segments from the head, and segmented program portions A1-A3 are
thus formed. This point will be clear as illustrated in FIG.
5A.
[0062] Next in S109, checksum data for each of the segmented
program portions A1-A3 is transmitted to the navigation apparatus
1, and the navigation apparatus 1 transfers the checksum data to
the server S3 (S110). At this time, the navigation apparatus 1
therefore executes none of special processes for the checksum data.
According to the present embodiment, "9abc" represents the checksum
data for the program portion A1, "810c" denotes the checksum data
for the program portion A2, and "a713" stands for the checksum data
for the program portion A3. The respective pieces of data are
transferred via the navigation apparatus 1 to the server S3.
[0063] When the checksum data is transferred to the server S3, a
difference check between the program portions is conducted by way
of a process in S111 by the update program checking unit 17. As
shown in FIG. 5A, the server S3 retains the check-oriented checksum
data for every program portion on the side of the server. The
checksum data are generated in a way that similarly segments the
update program by the predetermined area having the capacity of 50
Kbytes from the head. In the present embodiment, the checksum data
are sequenced such as "9abc", "810c" and "ab64" from the head of
the update program. The update program checking unit 17 makes a
comparison between the corresponding program portions from the head
of the program, thus determining whether the checksum data are
coincident with each other or not. In the present embodiment, there
is a discrepancy between the program portion A3 of the program P
and the third program portion from the head of the update program,
and hence it is determined that the program portion A3 is required
to be updated.
[0064] Herein, in the multimedia system 10 according to the present
invention, a process in S112 is executed for further narrowing down
which part in the program portion A3 needs updating. The program
portion required to be updated is thus narrowed down to the part as
minutely as possible, whereby the load taken for updating the
program can be further reduced. To be specific, the processes from
S108 to S111 are repeatedly executed in S112 with respect to the
program portion with the occurrence of the discrepancy in the
checksum data as in the case of the program portion A3. At this
time, the program portion is subsegmented into a plurality of
minute portions by setting the capacity of the predetermined area
to a capacity smaller than the value of the last time. Note that
the program portion is further subsegmented stepwise till the
capacity of the finally-segmented program portion reaches a
predetermined minimum capacity.
[0065] The predetermined minimum capacity is determined based on a
communication speed of the LAN circuit 4 that establishes the
connection between the navigation apparatus 1 defined as the master
unit terminal and the amplifier 3 as the slave unit terminal, a
storage capacity of the program temporary storage unit 20 provided
in the amplifier 3 and an updating speed of the program updating
unit 21. The predetermined minimum capacity of the amplifier 3 is
on the order of 12.5 Kbytes in the present embodiment. Those
parameters on which the predetermined minimum capacity is
determined based are, when the update program flows to (the update
program is downloaded into) the amplifier 3 from the server S3, the
parameters related to smoothness of this flow. According to the
present invention, the program portion segmented for every
predetermined area having a size of the predetermined minimum
capacity is sent finally to the amplifier 3 via the navigation
apparatus 1 from the server S3. Therefore, the size of the program
portion is set to the predetermined minimum capacity conceived as
the proper size. This scheme enables a flow of the download to be
smoothly kept and a fault such as an overflow to be avoided. The
scheme also enables avoidance of a rise in repetition count of the
consecutive processes from S108 to S111, which occurs due to
unconsidered subsegmentation of the program P. The reduction in the
load taken for updating the program of the amplifier 3 can be
thereby effectively attained.
[0066] According to the present embodiment, the program portion A3
is segmented by 4 on the basis of the predetermined minimum
capacity from the state shown in FIG. 5A, whereby much smaller
program portions A31-A34 are formed. In the same way as in the case
of giving the explanation with reference to FIG. 5A, pieces of
checksum data of the program portions A31-A34 are compared with
pieces of checksum data of the program portions of the update
program, which are prepared on the side of the server S3 and
correspond to the program portions A31-A34, thereby specifying a
discrepancy therebetween. A conclusion acquired in the present
embodiment is that the program portion 34A of the program P is
partially discrepant from the update program held by the server S3,
and the update program (which is precisely a portion thereof) that
should be acquired in the end from the server S3 is specified
(S113). Such being the case, in S114, the navigation apparatus 1
issues a request to the server S3 in order to transmit the update
program specified in S113 to the amplifier 3.
[0067] The scheme in the present embodiment is that the state shown
in FIG. 5A is shifted at the single stage directly to the state
shown in FIG. 5B, however, another available scheme is that the
program portion A3 is segmented further stepwise such as changing
the capacity from 50 Kbytes via 25 Kbytes finally to 12.5
Kbytes.
[0068] The server S3, to which the update program transmission
request has been issued, executes in S115 a coding process for a
program portion (which is the program portion of which the checksum
shown in FIG. 5B is designated by "0461") of the
should-be-transmitted update program. The coding process intends to
prevent the content of the update program from being known by the
navigation apparatus 1 taking an intermediary position for the data
transmission and to be a measure against an external leakage. The
thus-coded update program is transmitted to the navigation
apparatus 1 in S116 and is further transferred to the amplifier 3
classified as the slave unit terminal (S117). Coding and
transmitting on the side of the server are carried out by the
update program coding/transmitting unit 18.
[0069] Thereafter, the update program decoding/receiving unit 19
receives and decodes the transferred coded update program. The
update program after being decoded is temporarily stored in the
program temporary storage unit 20. Note that a processing flow of
the update program from S115 to S118 is performed on the basis of
the program portion segmented by the predetermined area having the
predetermined minimum capacity.
[0070] Herein, the processes of coding and decoding the program
portion In S115 through S118 are carried out by the conventional
techniques, and hence the in-depth description thereof is limited
to a brief explanation based on a processing flow shown in FIG. 6.
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the coding/decoding processes
generically as an encryption process. The encryption process starts
in S201 with mutual authentication between the server S3 and the
amplifier 3. The mutual authentication involves mutually verifying
whether these devices conform to DTCP (Digital Transmission Content
Protection) standards or not. If both of the devices meet the DTCP
standards, it is considered that both can keep the copyright of the
update program. The following processes are those based on such a
premise that both of the devices meet the DTCP standards. Upon
finishing the process in S201, the operation proceeds to S202.
[0071] In S202, the server S3 and the amplifier 3, which have been
mutually authenticated, generate authentication keys for each
other. Thereafter in S203, the server S3 codes a shared key (secret
key) with the authentication key and transmits the coded shared key
to the amplifier 3, while the amplifier 3 receiving this shared key
decodes the coded shared key with the authentication key. In S204,
the server S3 generates a content key according to the shared key
and a random number, and transmits the content key and the random
number to the amplifier 3. The amplifier 3 decodes the received
content key on the basis of the shared key and the received random
number. As a result, each of the server S3 and the amplifier 3
comes to have the content key with high independency
guaranteed.
[0072] In S205, the server S3 codes the update program with the
content key, which should be transmitted to the amplifier 3 from
the server S3, and transmits the coded update program to the
amplifier 3. The amplifier 3 decodes the received coded update
program by using the content key.
[0073] The coding/decoding process described above is executed
between the server S3 and the amplifier 3, whereby the navigation
apparatus 1 is disabled from knowing the content of the update
program even in batchwise management for updating the program on
the slave unit terminal by the navigation apparatus 1, which is
characteristic of the multimedia system 10 according to the present
invention. It is therefore feasible to keep the security for
transferring and receiving the data between the server S3 and the
amplifier 3. The wireless communications are performed between the
navigation apparatus 1 and the respective servers, however, a
damage caused by an outflow of the information to the outside can
be prevented by the encryption process.
[0074] Getting herein back to the processes shown in FIG. 3, after
temporarily storing the update program in S118, the process in S119
is executed. It is detected in S119 that the communications via the
LAN circuit 4 between the navigation apparatus 1 and the amplifier
3 are cut off. This detection implies detection of a status in
which the user sets OFF the function of each of the unit terminals
building up the multimedia system 10. Such being the case, after
conducting this detection, the program updating unit 21 updates the
program in the amplifier 3 by use of the update program stored in
the program temporary storage unit 20 (S120). The scheme of thus
setting the update execution timing with the update program at a
point after the detection in S119, derives from a possibility that
if the program is updated in a status where the amplifier 3 is
still employed by the user, the process executed at that point of
time in the amplifier 3 might be hindered.
[0075] According to this control, the programs of the slave unit
terminals are updated under the batchwise management by the master
unit terminal. Hence, the user has no necessity of paying an
attention to the status of the slave unit terminal each time, and
the troublesomeness felt by the user is reduced. As to the
acquisition of the update program, the program required to be
updated is acquired in the minimum range, and hence the increases
in the loads on the servers and the unit terminals can be
avoided.
[0076] The present embodiment has exemplified in detail how the
program of the amplifier 3 serving as the slave unit terminal is
updated, however, the same process may be executed for updating the
program of the navigation apparatus 1 serving as the master unit
terminal. At this time, the navigation apparatus 1 may execute,
based on the property information retained by the apparatus 1
itself, the process in S105 and a series of processes from S108 to
S114. It is preferable that the same encryption process as in the
case described above is carried out for acquiring the update
program from the server.
* * * * *